Illegal immigrants found hiding in lorry full of coffins

Border Force officers have discovered three would-be illegal immigrants trying
to enter Britain in a lorry full of coffins.

Mitzy the UK Border Agency sniffer dog who found three would-be illegal immigrants hiding in coffins in a lorryPhoto: PA

By Telegraph reporters

6:46AM GMT 31 Oct 2012

The three were found hidden among dozens of boxed coffins in a Bulgarian-registered van at the port of Dunkirk in northern France.

The human cargo was unearthed by sniffer dog called Mitzy.

The truck, which was waiting to board a ferry to the UK, was carrying coffins bound for a funeral director in Hounslow, west London.

The stowaways – who are Eritrean nationals – were handed over to French border police and the vehicle was allowed to continue on its journey.

Paul Morgan, Border Force director for South East and Europe, said: "This was an unusual type of discovery, but in the past we have found people hiding in an array of freight, ranging from dog biscuits, bathtubs and now coffins.